Astronomy Picture of the Day · January 18, 1996

MyCn18: An Hourglass Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 18, 1996 is “MyCn18: An Hourglass Nebula,” an image. It is credited to Credit: R. Sahai and J. Trauger (JPL), WFPC2 Science Team, NASA,. The original explanation runs about 126 words.

From the explanation

“The sands of time are running out for the central star of this hourglass-shaped planetary nebula . With its nuclear fuel exhausted, this brief, spectacular, closing phase of a Sun-like star’s life occurs as its outer layers are ejected – its core becoming a cooling, fading White Dwarf .”

— APOD editors, January 18, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: January 18, 1996
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: R. Sahai and J. Trauger (JPL), WFPC2 Science Team, NASA,
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 126 words

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Topics in this entry

The Sun Nebulae

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On this day: January 18 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, January 18, 1996 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1996-january-18-mycn18-an-hourglass-nebula

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.